The answer depends of the type and amount of education you have had to date. A baccalaureate degree is, in essence, two years of liberal arts course work and two years of nursing. This assumes full-time study; part-time study would of course extend the time frame. Course work beyond the associate's degree would most likely shorten the timeframe.

The baccalaureate degree requires 120 credit hours. You can transfer in up to 90 hours of previous coursework. There are 26 hours in the nursing completion courses in the RN-BSN program and additional hours available within and outside of the program as electives. Once you are accepted by the college a formal assessment of your transcripts will be made and we will be able to advise you regarding the specific coursework you will need to complete the program. Most students who have an associates degree in nursing and have passed their boards will have 30-36 additional credits required to complete their bachelors degree.

Do I have to complete any clinical hours if I am working?

All students complete NUR 472 which is the clinical course with Community Based Epidemiology, however, it does not have a typical "clinical format." This course requires an outside project of your choice and three days on campus during which time the clinical experiences come to you. This includes work with the county health department, AidsCare, Lead Coalition, Emergency Management teams, etc. The dates for this class are on the website with ample time to prepare your schedule. RN-BSN students who opt to participate in either of our two international health experiences (Peru or Costa Rica) may use these hours for their NUR 472 outside project.

The baccalaureate degree requires 120 credit hours. You can transfer in up to 90 hours of previous coursework. There are 26 hours in the nursing completion courses in the RN-BSN program and additional hours available within and outside of the program as electives. Once you are accepted by the college a formal assessment of your transcripts will be made and we will be able to advise you regarding the specific coursework you will need to complete the program.

The General Education Program is designed to provide you with the broad background and flexibility that are essential to survival in a rapidly changing world. The program requires course work in a diverse range of areas. If you have prior college-level preparation, you may already have met many of these requirements. Based on your transcript evaluation, your faculty advisor can help you identify which General Education requirements you have yet to complete.

Your faculty advisor can help you design a schedule that ensures you complete any remaining General Education requirements while at the same time completing any remaining nursing pre-requisites. Once the nursing pre-requisites are completed you are welcome to enroll in nursing courses starting in either the fall or spring semester on a space available basis. You can continue to complete General Education requirements while enrolled in nursing courses. Many of our RN-BSN students choose to take some of the remaining credits they need in the winter or summer sessions while taking nursing courses in the fall and spring. General education requirements do not have to be completed before beginning nursing courses but nursing pre-requisites do have to be completed before enrolling in nursing courses.

Must be employed as a registered nurse before the end of the program or additional clinical hours are required.

Current CPR certification at the BLS for Professional (Red Cross) Rescuer or Health Provider (AHA) level.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5.

Successful completion of nursing prerequisites with a minimum grade of "C" (2.0) in each course.

Submission of an acceptable application form.

**Students in their last semester of an associates degree program may apply to the program and can begin the program with an NCLEX date pending. In the event that the NCLEX is not passed, a change in schedule may be required.

Absolutely! Students from accredited degree programs are able to transfer up to 90 credits of their previous coursework including nursing classes. Most then need to complete 26 credits of nursing completion courses and then the remaining coursework needed to reach the 120 credits required for the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at The College at Brockport to meet residency requirements. Please discuss your course plan with your faculty advisor for individual circumstances. Some general education courses may also be challenged via a standardized college testing program. Your advisor will be able to guide you appropriately if this option would be advantageous to you. There is also a challenge exam available through the department for RN's who need to complete the nutrition requirement.

The choice of full-time or part-time options allows you to decide how much time per week you can devote to your studies in view of your life responsibilities. All required nursing courses are in a hybrid format (half online/half in class) and are available one evening per week with two exceptions. First, all RN-BSN students must take PRO 306, Professional Bridge Course for RN-BSN students, which is one full day and one half day at the beginning of your first semester. This course orients you to the computer system, the library, web resources and includes a math and writing review. This ensures that you have the necessary skills to be successful in the program. This one credit course is currently offered at the Brockport campus as well as the Metro campus. In addition, students enrolled in NUR 472, Community Based Epidemiology Clinical, will be required to attend three full day clinical experiences either on the Brockport or Metrocenter campus. These sessions are usually scheduled on three Fridays (approximately once a month) during that semester. Specific dates will be available at the time of registration. Other than these two requirements, the NURSING courses RN-BSN students take can all be scheduled one evening per week at either the Brockport campus or the Metrocenter campus.

The full-time schedule of required NURSING courses can usually be completed in two semesters; the part-time schedule usually extends over at least three semesters. Additional coursework required depends a great deal on the number of non-nursing courses a student needs. Those with a previous four year degree may only need 30 credits of Brockport courses (including the required nursing courses) while those with an Associates Degree will need additional credits for a total of 120 credits (including previous associates degree courses which transfer). Exact requirements are assessed on an individual bases and are only available after the college does an official transcript assessment with your application.

Core Curriculum for RN-BSN Students (All are hybrid or 100% online courses.)

Yes. The College's residency requirement mandates that 30 of the student's credits must be completed in credit bearing courses by The College. Challenge credit cannot be used to compute residency requirements.

Students will be eligible for a Bachelor of Science upon completion of the following:

a minimum of 120 credits with a minimum academic average of 2.0 and a maximum of 54 credits in nursing.

a minimum of 48 credits in upper-division courses.

60 credits in liberal arts courses.

all General Education requirements.

all course requirements of the nursing major, with a minimum grade of "75" in each nursing course.

Enrollment in and completion of the RN/BS courses at SUNY Brockport.

of all degree requirements within five years after beginning the clinical component of the major.

As you progress in your studies at the College, you will be assisted in assessing your progress towards graduation requirements by a Degree Audit Reporting System. This DARS is an updated summary of your progress each semester. You should review this with your academic advisor before registering for courses. You will receive a copy of this assessment. Please note, however, that the final responsibility for meeting all graduation requirements remains with the student.

You should meet regularly with your advisor to identify any problems as early as possible. In our experience, the most frequent problem is underestimating the number of non-nursing credits needed to graduate. You will need a total of 120 credits to complete a baccalaureate degree at The College at Brockport.

This web site provides only an introduction. It's certain that other questions or concerns will arise as you complete your BSN. You will find the following three College publications particularly helpful in providing further details on College policies and requirements:

Your Right to Know and Academic Policies Handbook. This annual publication is a compendium of information regarding health, safety, rights of privacy, services for the disabled, affirmative action policies and academic eligibility for financial aid. It can be accessed under Publications on the College website.

Undergraduate Studies – current edition. This official catalog includes the academic calendar, financial information, a summary of degree requirements, an overview of each major, and descriptions for all courses currently offered at our institution.

Student Handbook: Department of Nursing. General information and policies specific to the nursing program are presented, along with an orientation to our educational philosophy, program objectives and curriculum. This publication can be accessed at the nursing website.

The first two publications can be obtained in the Office of Academic Advisement, located in the Rakov Center for Student Services. The third is available from the Department of Nursing website. We hope you'll feel free to schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor whenever needed. We pride ourselves on our concern for our students, a concern evident not only in the classroom, but also in our system of advisement.